U.S. shuttle Discovery lifts off, delivering new module to ISS(2)

The U.S. space shuttle Discovery lifts off from its launch pad at Kennedy Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida of U.S., at 11:38 a.m. (1538 GMT) on Oct. 23, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony is a high-tech hallway-like hub. Therefore, including in the Discovery crew is Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, the mission specialist who represents the European Space Agency.

Harmony will also be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added to the station since the Quest Airlock was attached to one of Unity's six berthing ports in 2001.

The shuttle will also deliver a new crew member, Daniel Tani, to the station's Expedition 16 and bring back another one Clayton Anderson, after his five-month mission.

This mission includes the most number of spacewalks conducted while the shuttle is docked to the station. Altogether, there are five spacewalks scheduled, including one to evaluate a shuttle tile repair technique. Each spacewalk will last approximately 6.5 hours.

STS-120 is the 120th space shuttle flight, the 34th flight for shuttle Discovery and the 23rd flight to the station. If all goes well, Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6